Love Is All You Need
by Harrypotter202abc
Summary: The CIA is not an easy place to have a relationship, especially not for people who were bad at it to begin with. When the pressure and stress bleed into everyday life your best friend is all you have and it often takes losing someone you love to truly realize how much you need them.
1. Bruised Peaches

**I'm back after like ten thousand years away from Fanfic! This story is my new project and I already have it prewritten so no worries of Hiatus! **

**It's fantastic to be back and if any of my readers are still here I'm so grateful and happy for every single one of you! I love you guys! : )**

In theory, Annie Walker had everything, the looks, the brains, the killer heels…but in reality not so much. The whole pretty girls get boys effortlessly thing? A total myth. Sure she could wrap a Mossad agent around her finger or sweet talk a cop into thinking she was a call girl but when it came to guys she actually had feelings for she deflated like a balloon. Witty banter and flirting were her forte; it was the stuff that came after that was a problem. After the foreplay turned off and her feelings came into the picture it all went to the dogs, maybe it was because she'd never had relationship work before or maybe there was just something wrong with her but either way she was damaged goods and no guy wants the bruised peach at the grocery store not even the desperate ones.

It was all Bobby Johnson's fault; he had been her first boyfriend way back in Kindergarten and the first boy she came crying home to her mom about but then again he was five and dumped her because Lauren Shaffer had better Pokémon cards. Maybe it was Jacob Lyle in 6thgrade who had used her to get to Danielle or Mitchel McCammon who asked her to homecoming along with ten other girls and his cousin, possibly even Donovan Jackson who cheated on her with a boy named Justin in college. But mostly likely it was Ben who left her alone on the beach with nothing but a note and came to find her every time it was convenient.

Yes it was safe to say Annie had a bad track record but it couldn't all be blamed on the guys she went for. It was evident she had commitment issues, but who wouldn't after moving around the world every year till their 18th birthday. She was never one for feelings, so while Danielle cried her eyes put and threw confetti at her friends as their car drove away, Annie simply took all her pictures and memories of each home and put them in a box. Compartmentalizing was what she did best but in a relationship you needed to be open and free, you need to communicate and talk…possibly the only two things Annie was absolutely horrible at.

As her life went on Annie did what Annie did best, she avoided things. Her friends and sister got married and had kids, they moved to big houses in the suburbs and learned to bake the perfect cake, they got jobs in hospitals and real estate but Annie studied and traveled; she experienced everything anyone would ever want to do and eventually landed her dream job at the CIA. And this is where her troubles began.

The second she set foot into the CIA she felt like she was home and not those fake army base homes she had lived in as a kid but a real home that smelled like coffee, leather and excitement. She had found her people, the ones she could never find as a kid, the people who thrived on excitement and loved to learn, ones who weren't afraid of a little danger. As she strode into the building in her Louis Vuitton kitten heels she was on top of the world, her entire life finally made sense.

Until a lean brunette man with floppy hair fell into stride beside her. Suddenly she didn't feel on top of the world, instead it had taken a 180-degree flip and she was falling off the side into a deep dark abyss of chocolate brown.

"Hi, I'm Auggie you handler." The man said with a slight smile in his voice.

"Annie Walker. Nice to meet you!" She replied visibly shaken, her cheeks staining a soft shade of pink.

The man smiled and pulled a small laser out of his pocket, he then stuck his elbow out and waited for her to catch on.

"Oh yes…did I forget to mention that I can't actually see you?"

"You may have left out that particular detail."

"It's not that bad once you get used to it. But I'm telling you now that I can tell when you're waving your hand in front of my face so before you try…"

"I wasn't going to but now that you mention it." She giggled, relived he couldn't see her blush and slipped her fingers around his arm.

Before long that familiar tugging came back, the same feeling she got every time the witty banter slipped into something more. But the tug never turned into a pull since Auggie got a girlfriend and after her he got another girlfriend. He seemed to be quite the playboy from what she could tell, not that she minded because of course she wasn't falling for him. She couldn't…she was a million times bitten and a thousand times shy.

But with Auggie it was different it was comfortable; they had skipped the awkward getting to know you part and jumped headfirst into the life/death situation part. Their bond meant she could walk into his apartment without knocking and he knew her nieces better than she did, she was allowed to fix his tie and he was allowed to straighten her desk. They depended on each other because it turned out Auggie was damaged goods too, he had been chewed up and spit out by as many people as she had and he was worse for the wear.

With him it was never forced and she never felt like she had to fake being herself, maybe it was because he couldn't see her face or because he could just read her way too well but even when she tried to lie to him it was obvious he could tell instantly.

But she could never date him. She could never risk that handler/agent relationship they shared because she knew the second she kissed him all the magic would be gone and she would never be able to hear his voice through her headset again, he would be replaced by Stu or Reva and then she would be lost. Without him they'd be no one to wait for her at the end of her missions or call to make sure she was alright, no one to show up at her apartment in the middle of the night with a bottle of vodka and chocolate ice cream ready to hear her cry. He was special, too special to be poisoned by the bruised peach because he was hurt enough and her issues would just make his surface and that was guilt she could not withhold.

But every night when she saw him hit on another gorgeous college runner, her heart broke a little inside and she could feel all those pent up emotions build up ready to explode. Eventually she moved on, she started dating a doctor who was perfect in everybody's eyes but her own. She could see his blue eye crinkle the wrong way and how he never let a spoon of Ben and Jerry's get anywhere near his mouth, he couldn't differentiate a USB port from a CD player and could never tell when she was walking with an injury, physically or emotionally. It wasn't fair to him and it wasn't fair to her, neither of them were happy and everyone knew it. Everyone except Danielle, who was already planning her wedding to "Dr. Dreamy",

"You can wear an off color cream! With red in your hair!"

"Danielle!"

"Wedding on the beach! You don't have to wear shoes and the water will swish and sway in the background!"

"Danielle!"

"Chloe and Katia can be the flower girls!"

"DANIELLE!"

"What Annie? Can't you see I'm planning the best wedding ever?"

"I can't marry him! I don't even know if I can keep dating him!"

"Oh Annie why do you always do this to yourself? Every time you get anywhere with someone, an alarm goes off in your brain telling you're not allowed to be happy."

Annie just sat there staring at her, knowing that she was right but not wanting to admit it.

"Oh my god! There's someone else isn't there? Is it that guy from work? Auggie right? The one who I can see sneaking into the guesthouse at all hours of the night, you guys aren't doing one of those creepy friends with benefits things are you? Because you know those never work out, look at all those movies. They start out fine and then eventually fall in love but don't want to admit it but end up getting married or something at the end. But Annie, you of all people know that's not how it works in real life…we can't all be Natalie Portman or Mila Kunlis!"

"Stop it! I wasn't sleeping with him! We're just friends! As for my relationship I'm just not feeling it anymore, there's no…spark."

"First of all that whole spark thing is a big old lie, take it from someone who's been married for way too long. And second how can you not feel it with Dr. Dreamy? If Michael was anywhere near as sexy as he is I would probably have more than two kids."

"He's…just…too perfect! I can't deal with it."

"Whatever you say, but I think you're sabotaging your relationship to be with Auggie"

"This has been fun but if you don't mind I have to get to work. Bye Danielle!"

"You'll thank me for this someday!"

Danielle had always been her parents' favorite and Annie was beginning to see why, she loved her sister but sometimes they were on two completely different planets. Growing up Danielle had been the normal one who got along with other girls and played dress up, Annie on the other hand play Rugby and cursed in Russian…needless to say her parents were horrified and the boys ran in the other direction, not that she cared. Pleasing her parents were never at the top of her priority list. To this day Danielle's opinion stood head and shoulders over her parents whom she hadn't seen since she joined the Ops.

But this time Danielle was totally wrong, she didn't have feelings for Auggie…at least not anymore. Sure she had been attracted to him at first but now he was her best friend and she couldn't ruin that relationship. After that things would never be the same…

**I hope you liked it! **

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I would mean a lot! I love hearing your thoughts and ideas. **

**Love, **

**HP202abc **


	2. The Loneliness of a Smart Car

**Hi guys! **

**Thank you so much for all the alerts and reviews this story has gotten, I love you all! This fandom is truly one of the most supportive and is just incredible! **

**This particular chapter is one of my favorites, but it does take a turn from the serious and reflective thing I was going at in the beginning. This story's going to be mixed-perspective and I left the darker stuff for Annie and Auggie but kept the awkward stuff for Stu. **

**I hope you enjoy Stu's little dilemma! : ) **

Stu sat at his desk absently tapping his thumb on the spacebar; from the glassed walls of the Tech office Stu watched his co-workers. Annie was perched a top her desk leaning close to Auggie and giggling at his narration. Jai and Reva were awkwardly crowded around a potted plant, talking animatedly around the fern, even Arthur had appeared to sweep Joan away for lunch about an hour ago.

He was alone but he didn't mind. He never minded, in fact he was happier alone…as a kid he had been the child who spent recess in the library and every Friday bent over a computer but he was never sad in fact he enjoyed silence and at times the overwhelming sound of the DPD gave him a headache. If he wanted company he would find some but he wasn't going to force something for the sake of wasted time.

He didn't need a girlfriend…he had been kissed more than once in his life! But the only one worth remembering was Alicia Hollinsdale who he dated Freshman year of college. She had been everything he could've asked for, smart, funny, nice, beautiful and why she would go for a guy like him was still a huge doubt in his mind. The only problem was that she wasn't Indian and the second his grandmother had caught wind of that his life became a familial induced hell. But now grandma just wanted him married and he no longer cared if his family approved, he had lost the girl of his dreams and he would spend eternity trying to find another one.

At 30 he had basically lost all hope, there was no way another girl would go for him the way Alicia did especially since it seemed like every female in the CIA was taken. He needed someone…a new recruit perhaps who he could help enter the CIA, like Auggie did for Annie. The only problem was that the only person he had ever talked through an OP was Jai and it already official he was with Reva mostly due to the fact that they had disappeared from over the fern and into what seemed like a closet.

It was only then he realized that there was an entire page worth of spaces on his word document,

"IT'S JUST LIKE MY LIFE! BLANK AND POINTLESS" he cried slamming his head on the keyboard.

"Are you alright?" A small female voice asked.

Stu lifted his head expecting to see Annie or Reva standing in the doorway concerned, but was greeted with a freckled redhead with black-rimmed glasses. She was small and stared at him with an extremely concerned stare.

"Do you work here?" He stammered.

"I'm new. Actually I'm looking for an Auggie Anderson, would you happen to know where he is?"

"He's in the bullpen…one second I'll just grab him."

Stu nervously shuffled over to Annie's desk and tapped the otherwise pre-occupied man on the shoulder.

"Can I help you?" The sightless man laughed.

"We've got a newbie who needs a tour."

While the conversation took place Annie glanced over at Tech ops and immediately took notice of the pretty ginger, suddenly it all connected in her head. She had to stop Auggie before he ruined the moment for Stu. Running out of ideas she tried all conversation topics that could possibly distracted before she resorted to whispering it in his ear. Just because her love life was in a rut didn't mean she could let Stu be unhappy. Upon hearing Stu's predicament Auggie smiled and continued his conversation with Annie, gesturing for Stu to return to tech ops. Barely able to contain his grin Stu sprinted back to his office.

"Auggie is…otherwise occupied. I can show you around if you want!"

"I'd like that!"

Stu grinned so wide he thought his face would break in half but he knew his happiness would be short lived, she was exactly the type of girl that went for guys like Auggie and treated Stu like a passive stepping stone to the brunette Adonis. It wouldn't be the first time but he was going to enjoy her attention while it lasted and maybe she would fall in love with his personality.

In the next weeks Stu tried harder than usual to impress Courtney, he even tried to dig out a few of his clothes from his high school days but they were 7 inches too short and a little too tight. And it was actually working! She was getting more and more comfortable around him and they were beginning a tentative friendship, the only problem was that he didn't want to be stuck in the friend zone like Auggie and Annie were. He needed to make a start earlier before they got to the point of no return.

The next day over lunch Stu decided he would finally try to make his move, he was shaking like a leaf and trembling but he managed to stammer,

"C-c-c-Courtney, do you want to maybe catch a movie and get some pizza after work?"

"That sounds like a lot of fun! Meet me at the exit around six and we can leave together!"

"Great!"

Nervously Stu ran to the bathroom and fixed his hair, straightened his tie and threw on cologne. Then he raced to the exit where Courtney stood in her formal work wear. Grabbing her hand he pulled her into to his car and rushed to reach the movie on time.

They had watched a chick flick, on Stu's choice. He figured he'd pick a movie she would like. On the drive home he tried to use some of the starter lines his18-year-old cousin had taught him,

"So do you listen to dup-step?"

"What? No…absolutely not."

"Good, quite honestly I have no clue what it is."

"Stu are you okay? You seem kind of out of it tonight." Courtney asked, the familiar concern filling her eyes as they pulled into her shared driveway.

Feeling the moment Stu began to lean in closer to the still concerned woman.

"Oh my god what are you doing?" She yelped.

"This would be what people do at the end of a date right?"

"A date? Oh my gosh Stu I'm so sorry."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing never mind…it's just that…we both took tonight a different way."

"What are you talking about? How can this be taken any other way?"

"Look, let's not get into this right now."

"I think we should get into this, just for my future reference!"

"You really don't want to know."

"Umm…YES I do!"

"Okay fine! But don't go getting mad at me! I thought you were gay! Are you happy I told you?"

"How were we one two completely different wavelengths"

"I misread the signals…I've always wanted an awesome gay best friend and I thought this was my chance. Stu, I really like hanging out with you…just not the way you wan to hang out."

With that Courtney exited the car and walked quietly to her door, leaving a heartbroken Stu in his smart car confused and silently wishing he hadn't asked.

**I hope you liked it! **

**Please drop a review on your way out and tell me what you think, because I'd love to know if you like the lighter or darker side of this story better!**

**Love always, **

**HP202abc **


	3. Uncle Auggie?

**Okay guys…I'm horrible! I haven't updated in like 2 weeks! I'm so sorry! I can't believe it got away from me so quickly! **

**Thank you all so much for the alerts! And super special shout out to 2 awesome people who not only reviewed but are just so amazing they deserve one anyway! **

**First **_**Beth-geek chic**_**! I've been a fan of her forever and the fact that she likes one of my stories is like an honor for me! She's awesome and her reviews are super nice! Plus if you haven't heard of her stories…first, omg…second, read them they are like the epitome of perfect A-squared fanfic. **

**Second is to, **_**Kittycat69 **_**who is my incredible fanfic bestie! She's supported my writing even when it was non-existent and she is my soul sista! Without her I would probably never have written CA fanfic to begin with! I love her to pieces and check out her stories because they are sublime! **

**Shameless plug/review bribe over…Auggie's turn! **

Black. That was the first thing he woke up seeing in the hospital. It wasn't like anything he had ever experienced before… this wasn't a fumbling in your room with the lights off black it was the kind of black that you only saw on the color wheel…an unreal darkness that never seemed to end. For a moment he had fallen down the rabbit hole and he half expected to be able to see his hysterical mother when the tunnel ended. But alas, his rabbit never appeared and all he could hear were screams and crying. He heard his brothers trying to comfort his hysterical mother while his father simply repeated the word "no" over and over.

Sound was amplified and he honestly couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed, everything was in full HD Dolby digital sound and he prayed that maybe it was all just one morphine induced Beatles inspired nightmare and when he woke he would just continue his life as is. As this thought crossed his mind, he began to wonder whether he was alive at all or if he was simply floating in a place between life and death. That's when the panic started; he thrashed his limbs around hoping to grasp at something real, something other than what felt like a bed beneath him. All he needed was a hand or an arm even an IV would suffice, just something to plant him firmly in reality.

Finally he felt a soft hand grasp his as what seemed like a team of elephants pinned him to the bed. That would be the moment his fate was sealed, the last lucid minute of his life in which he had the hope of seeing.

"Auggie! I need you to listen to me." His mother's shaking voice soothed, "Hold still…you're alive but-" she paused to let out a soft sob. Sensing her pain his father continued, "In the aftermath of the explosion you lost your ability to see."

"We've tried everything. But unfortunately nothing seems to have worked." A female voice he assumed was a nurse finished.

He just lay there, the explosion playing in his mind; the tank, his friends…each of their faces flashed in his mind though the infinite blackness.

"The others, what happened? Are they here?" His asked, his voice almost unrecognizable.

"Aug, you're the only one who made it out. The guys who weren't killed on impact had wounds that were basically untreatable." One of his brothers answered in a solemn tone.

With these words Auggie wondered what this had done to his family and what he had put them through. He wondered if maybe he would've been better off with the rest of his troop. His brother, who had never uttered a serious word in his life sounded as if he was another person altogether, his mom hadn't stopped crying and his dad seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown…why? Why did he get to live when all the others didn't? He had gotten a second chance in life and he wasn't going to waste it. Eyesight or not he would live everyday like it was his last, if not for himself than for Jim, Billy, John, Kevin, Caleb, Justin and all the others who weren't so lucky.

With a deep breath he asked to words he never thought he would've had the courage to say, "So how do I live? I assume blindly-sorry excuse the pun-feeling my way around is out of the question."

"We've done the best we can with your eyes but all you'll be able to see are light patterns. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves but eventually we'll teach you to use a laser cane and read braille."

"Well Helen Keller look at me." Auggie sadly attempted to make a joke.

From a distance he could hear his brother whisper, "what's wrong with him? Doesn't he realize what's going on? He can't see! He'll never see again!"

"He's coping. It's part of the 5 stages of grief…denial, he figures if he makes jokes it will all go away." The nurse replied, "It'll probably set in eventually."

"I'm not coping, I've decided to take a new turn in life and live in honor of those lost. I'm lucky and I'm planning on living instead of grieving as you so kindly put it." He interjected loudly, letting the nurse know he could hear her loud and clean.

She was right of course, the nurse. The reality had set in at about 12 o'clock that night, after his family had left and he lay on his back theoretically staring at the ceiling. He was left with complete silence and the image of the accident replaying over and over in his head…to the backtrack of Strawberry Fields by The Beatles. It was the last thing he saw, the last thing he'd ever see. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to imagine all the things he never wanted to forget: the color red, Tash, Steam trains, his family's faces, his army buddies…the explosion was one thing he would rather unsee yet it seemed to be the only thing to fill his mind.

Since that fateful day in the hospital he had become adjusted to life with out vision, he had far surpassed the five stages of grief and eventually managed to move the image of an exploding tank from his mind. He dug up his Mingus records, which thankfully removed the seemingly permanent orchestra of Beatles songs from his thoughts. His life was pretty good, he had a job he loved and the best friends he could ask for…in fact there were very few times he truly missed his sight.

But the first time he met Annie Walker he knew he would've killed to see her, he could tell from her voice she was gorgeous and unlike every other person who approached him she treated him like a normal human being instead of a wonderful new pet project to fill her time. This was dangerous territory he was entering…he was getting way too attached to her.

Before long he found himself sitting at his desk till three in the morning waiting for her to return from Syria, and was being shaken awake by her before sheepishly rubbing the keyboard imprint from his dimpled cheek. They would drink at Allen's together and even watch ridiculously horrible movies, they had reached a point of comfortable friendship. A point, which meant Auggie, was stuck in the friend zone for all eternity. He had become the Sam to her Clarissa and not in a good way…in fact their relationship was more akin to that of Jo March and Laurie, except Annie's sister was already married…leaving Auggie with a grand total of zero options.

So, here he stood at her doorstep wielding a tub of Ben and Jerry's and an overnight bag…it was movie night and Auggie would crash on the couch. Yes ladies and gentleman not exactly the climatic buildup you were expecting, no forced to sleep in same bed or even fall asleep on top of each other…his situation was the epitome of sad. Amidst his little self-proclaimed pity party the door swung open and he was attacked by two flying blurs of sugar fueled adorable.

"AUGGIE!" Chloe cried, "You're finally here! We were getting worried!"

"Actually Aunt Annie was worried and we ate all the chocolate on the coffee table!" Katia corrected.

"When Aunt Annie stresses out she eats chocolate…just like mommy! But when mommy stresses out she eats a chocolate granola bar because she said that chocolate sticks to your tushie." Chloe added, wanting to feel important.

"In that case I guess you wouldn't want this double chocolate ice cream…" Auggie smiled, holding the tub a few inches above the girl's heads.

"Chloe said it, not me!" Katia cried grabbing the ice cream and running to the kitchen.

As the Chloe struggled to keep up with her much taller sister, Auggie caught a wiff of Joe Malone grapefruit and immediately knew Annie had entered the room.

"You're here! Finally, I was beginning to get worried."

"As I've already been informed." He chuckled turning his head towards the kitchen, "I take it you're babysitting tonight?"

"Danielle decided that she needed a break and the girls LOVE you."

"This means we're watching Tangled again right?"

"Oh don't pretend you didn't like it! You almost cried last time."

"My allergies were acting up."

"You don't have allergies."

"How would you know? Maybe they're a secret?"

"Secret allergies? What are you allergic to? Jai?"

"If only…" he sighed, handing her the movie which she then inserted into the player.

The two settled on the couch as the screen lit up and Katia came racing from the kitchen, Chloe who was substantially smaller was still far behind.

"Ice cream! I have one spoon for me, one for Chloe and one for Aunt Annie AND Auggie!" She smiled proudly.

Both laughed as they held the spoon they were supposed to share. Annie was about to reply when Chloe came running into the living room.

"Katia! Katia! You forgot one!" She cried, proudly holding up a fourth spoon and handing it to Auggie.

"Chloe no!" Katia hissed, "They were supposed to share!"

"Why?" Chloe asked, her brown eyes wide.

"Because they're supposed to get married and then we can have an UNCLE AUGGIE!"

"Ooohhhh!" Chloe exclaimed, looking as if Katia had just told her she could eat an entire ice cream cake.

Quickly, she snatched the spoon away from Auggie and raced back to the kitchen, returning empty handed. From their places on the couch, neither Auggie nor Annie could believe the scene that was unfolding in front of them and it took all their willpower not to burst in fits of uncontrollable laughter. Finally when both girls decided they were satisfied with the way Annie and Auggie were eating their ice cream and both squished into an armchair with their own tub, leaving the other two the entire couch and one spoon. Awkwardly they alternated using the spoon as they sat at a comfortable distance, under the watchful eyes of two little girls.

**I hope you guys liked it! And if you have any requests as to who I should do next, let me know! **

**Pretty pretty please with sugar and sprinkles and ice cream and Twizzlers and M&Ms and frozen Yogurt and Frappichinos and chocolate chips and cotton candy and cheese and glitter and hugs and smiles and throw pillows and Chicago pizza and philly chesse steak and diet coke and blue-raspberry slushies and oreos and cookies and crème Ice cream and really big soft pretzels and marshmallows and cake and icing and confetti and mac-and-cheese and mashed potatoes with lots and lots of whipped crème on top! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**


	4. Broken Barriers

**Wow! Two updates in two days! I feel super accomplished! **

**This chapter is dedicated to my bestie BETSY! Who is the greatest and got me COVERT AFFAIRS seasons 1-2 for my birthday today! **

**Super special thanks to the reviewers: **

_**Beth- Geek chick**_** and **_**Kittycat69**_** you guys are awesome and amazing as always! I love you both to bits! **

**Also thanks to **_**Purple Carnation**_**, you're review made me smile! And **_**Kitty Invictus **_**who also made me very happy yesterday! I love that both of you got my Clarissa reference! **

**Joan's turn! I hope you enjoy! And I would love if you would leave me a review for an awesome birthday present! **

Fifteen years…she had spent so much of her life within these four walls. In a building in which most of the country didn't know existed. She had met her husband here, basically had her honeymoon in here too. She never had children because she had seen the ugliness in the world, she knew what could happen to her or Arthur and didn't want to leave a child with a ridiculous explanation. Even if they both had survived, she didn't want her son or daughter becoming like Jai; an over privileged and self-righteous legacy.

She had entered the CIA like any other new recruit, smart and driven. She wanted something more than what the real world could offer her…she wanted excitement. But unlike other newbies of her time she didn't want to be the next James Bond. She simply wanted a challenge, something that would excite her.

As a child Joan had been known as the tragically beautiful girl, the other who was pretty but did nothing with it. She much preferred to spend her evenings studying about foreign places and dreaming about leaving her suffocating and tiny New York suburb. But once her parents divorced she became a complete introvert, she simply sat in the library learning and absorbing. Before long she had mastered German, Spanish, French and had begun working at Chinese. She read everything she could get her hands on and immersed herself in any culture but her own. Sometimes she wondered if the CIA picked her for her talent or her compartmentalizing skills…nothing ever seemed to get to her, she simply brushed it off and went on with her life.

There had only ever been one person who could see through her wall. She met him one of her missions in Russia when a clan of at least ten men had snatched her, they'd dragged her off to a cave and in came Arthur who swung to her rescue. But rather than thank him she hit him over the head claiming she could take care of herself. Though he looked confused he left her alone. It had been her first mission and her first taste of real life and honestly it had scared her, so she returned to her comfortable introverted state. And Arthur had called her out on it.

"What's wrong with you?" He had asked her one-day in the break room, never being one to beat around the bush.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied in a practiced and smooth monotonous voice.

"You're lying and I can tell."

"You've known me for less than a year and we have barely said three words to each other. How would you possibly know if I'm lying?"

"I take pride in my ability to read people…"

"Well your readings are off."

"My readings are never off. EVER."

"You don't know me. All you've done is attempt to save my ass."

"Then let me get to know you."

"I'd rather not."

"Saturday at Allen's sound good?"

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"

"Of course I'm listening, I can tell you're mad at me and I can tell you're are totally freaked out."

"I'M NOT FREAKED OUT!"

"Stop yelling! We're just having a conversation."

"If I agree to go to Allen's with you will you leave me alone?"

"I can't guarantee you'll want to be alone after our little date."

"IT'S NOT A DATE! It's me trying to get you off my back."

"I'll see you on Saturday! 7 sound good?" He ignored her, winking as he walked away.

He had broken down her walls and made her fall in love. She wasn't expecting it and she didn't want it to happen but she fell and she fell hard. Before long her shyness was long gone and she was spending more and more time with Arthur and his friends. Her life was unfolding in a way she had never expected, gone was the little Jewish girl from the suburbs…she was a strong and independent woman and she wasn't going to let anyone get in her way.

They got married a year later, in a small church and just as they were about to go on their honeymoon there was a hostile situation in Syria. Two hours later, her and Arthur were flying in a cargo plane over the Atlantic Ocean. And she loved it! She was never the kind of girl who dreamed of fairytale life or a perfect wedding she would never have wanted a picket fence and 2.5 kids. She loved the excitement and the wildness of the world but she still had her wall. The wall that kept her from getting too attached to the agents she lost. Only Arthur had seen the real Joan.

Until, Annie Walker sauntered into the DPD in her kitten heels and Joe Malone grapefruit perfume. She screamed confidence but Joan could see the same look she had held herself, a look of a small broken girl using a defense mechanism.

That's why she had assigned Auggie as her handler, he was broken too and she believed that if anyone could break that barrier it was him. He was Arthur in a softer, younger form and he could help Annie become what Joan had achieved. Unfortunately she realized a little too late that she had developed quite an attachment to the young agent. She hoped Annie and Auggie could take over for her and Arthur once they retired because she sure as hell wasn't going to let Jai do it.

**I'm sorry it's a little short but I really wanted to get something out and honestly Joan's really hard to write! **

**This is the last of the introduction chapters and after this the story actually starts. **

**It would really really mean a lot to me if you reviewed! I'll give you a piece of virtual Birthday cake! : ) **


	5. Mocha Caramel Latte

**Hey guys! **

**First I love all of you who review last chapter! I'd like to thank Beth-Geek Chick who is forever awesome and is eternally amazing, Kitty Invictus who's review made me admire the wonders of virtual birthday cake, Gwynne G. who reviewed a whopping 3 times! Thank you so much! And fbobs! **

**Super special thanks to Kittycat69, this story should basically be dedicated to her! If it weren't for her lovely stories I would never have started writing Covert Affairs fanifc! She the best writers support ever! I love her and her stories so go read her fic called ****Honor**** and wish her a super awesome birthday on the 12****th****! :)**

**So I wanted to begin the plot a bit and decided to start with the awesome birthday present Kittycat69 gave me…A PLOT BUNNY! **

**I hope you enjoy! **

Liz Styles had worked at Starbucks since she was 22 years old, one day she was applying for a position at in her hometown and the next she was given a polygraph and sworn to secrecy…all she had wanted to do was make coffee, actually she had wanted to plan weddings but since she had begun life in Langley that seemed liked a distant dream. Every day she served the same people, thousands of faces in a crowd each ordering something more complex. There were very few people she remembered, typically the front men were dressed to the nines and treated her like a kiosk and most of the other workers grabbed their coffee and left. But there were two people who she always remembered, Annie Walker and Auggie Anderson they both always arrived at the same time and ordered the same thing. Initially, she believed they were a couple but when she offered them a free cookie on Valentine's day they blushed and explained they were just friends.

Now call her a hopeless romantic but she truly believed that the two were perfect for each other, you could tell by the way they looked at each other. She wanted them together just so she could maybe convince Annie to let her plan their wedding. She could just see it now, Annie in an intricate straight-line dress and Auggie in a flawless Armani tux! They would get married on the beach and of course she would plan each intricate detail. Before long all the workers will be asking her to plan their events and she'd never have to make another Venti, half caf, no foam, non-fat, sugar free, no drizzle, soymilk, venti caramel-mocha frappachino again. God, she got a headache just saying the name! To this day she didn't understand why people refuse to drink plain old coffee with milk and sugar.

Annie and Auggie's wedding will be like plain coffee, wonderfully simple and perfectly tasteful. She had dreamed of this, wanted this her entire life. When she was planning her perfect Sleeping Beauty wedding to her prince charming she imagined the wonder of planning a real wedding. And the two clueless agents were the perfectly Disney lookalikes to fulfill her childhood fantasies.

But before you freak out and think she's some kind of crazy stalker, Liz and Annie had grown to become close friends. Over the two years they worked in the same building Annie had been one of the few who had treated her like a human being as opposed to a coffee-spitting kiosk. And Liz was one who understood life as a civilian, so when conflicts between her two identities arose Annie always had someone to lean on. But once Annie told her sister about being an operative their chats grew shorter and they only saw each other on morning coffee runs.

Which was why Liz was so surprised to find Annie running into the cafeteria at 8pm with tears running down her cheeks and keys in her hand one Wednesday night.

"I need to talk to you!" She cried collapsing into a cafeteria chair.

"What happened to you? Sit down, let me get you a coffee." Liz soothed grabbing a cup from behind the counter.

Taking the coffee gratefully, Annie grabbed Liz's wrist and dragged her to the now deserted backroom of the coffee shop.

"I'm so confused!" the blonde sighed collapsing against the wall.

"Okay you really need to tell me what's going on."

"I-I-I…I can't even say it out loud."

"You're killing me here!"

"I think I may possibly be inlovewithAuggie."

"Hon, you're gonna have to take a breath."

"I think I'm in love with Auggie."

"WHAT! OH MY GOD!" Liz cried jumping up and down, squealing with delight, "I knew it!"

"LIZ! This isn't something to be jumping about."

"Why the hell not? I've been waiting two years for this."

"He's going around the world. To see Parker."

"I thought they broke up."

"I don't know why he went. All I know is that he's going."

"That bitch!"

"You want to hear the horrible part? She's actually nice…she's in the PEACE CORE! She understands what he went through in the military because her brother DIED there."

"Well then…"

"I can't win! She too perfect and he's too good for me."

"I still hate her."

"I hate myself…I had a chance with him and I blew it, now I'm Patti to his Doug. My life sucks!"

"Pity party stops now!" Liz yelled pulling Annie off the ground and leading her out the door, "we're going for some retail therapy because you're going to knock Auggie's socks off when he gets back!"

"You seem to have forgotten that he can't see me!"

"Yes, but the second he holds your elbow and feels that cashmere sweater or lace sleeve he'll forget all about Parker."

Leading her outside Liz shoved Annie into her car and sat herself in the passenger seat.

"Wait, where did you get this."

"Auggie gave it to me." Annie yelled slamming her head against the steering wheel.

"He gave you a CAR? Damn girl…"

Annie glared at the redhead as she pulled out of the CIA parking lot and toward the large mall on the edge of the city. The girls cruised the streets, the beautiful sports car humming in the background.

When the two reached the mall Annie was dragged by her arm to the shoes store, where Liz proceeded to pick out the highest pair of heels she could find and threw them at Annie, they then sped around the mall spending a grand total of 500 dollars.

Sitting in the food court a while later, eating mall Chinese Annie had visibly brightened.

"Feeling better?" Liz asked.

"Much. But I need to find a way to get out of the friend zone."

"Good because I need dibs on planning your wedding."

"I'm a little worried."

"You worry about the guy and I'll worry about the wedding."

"No fair you get the easy job..."

**I hope you enjoyed!  
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**Let me know which style you prefer, character backgrounds with a story at the end or perspective plots. **

**Review and it's time for a virtual Starbucks party! : )**

**Love you guys always! **


	6. In the Blink of an Eye

**Hey guys! **

**So I****'****m back! School is finally over and I can now devote all my time to this ****"****collection****"**

**I love any of you who stayed, thank you so much! **

**Also****…****new format! I****'****m kinda indifferent, but I think the whole image thing is a pain in the butt. On the other hand the PM button is right at the top of the story now, so if you ever want to drop by and say hi I love to get to know the people read my stories! : D Also for those of you who haven't noticed…THE REVIEW BUTTON IS BIGGER! Which means there is no longer any excuse not to drop in and say hi! Secondly reviews feed MY PET BUNNY FREDRICO! If you don't want him to starve then you should review ;) **

**Thanks as always, to all who had reviewed and favorited the last chapter (a million years ago). **

**I really hope you like this; I tried to make it longer to make up for the time gap. **

Auggie stepped off the plane onto African turf and took in the bustling city sounds. He suddenly felt a small tap on his shoulder and felt a small figure hurl into his arms.

"Parker!" He cried, "Glad to see you too…"

"How are you? Was you're plane ride okay?"

"Am I okay? You were just in an extremely dangerous area and you're asking ME if I'M okay?"

"I'm on leave…I blowing all my days on you so this better be one hell of a week." She smiled.

"Oh it will be."

The two maneuvered, not so gracefully through the crowded markets until finally reaching their hotel. It was impressively tall and sum bleached white, the interior was cool relief from the beating sun. Auggie sat in the lobby and waited for Parker to get their information, he took in the sounds around him; babies cried, people chattered, roll on luggage scraped the floors and expensive high heels clicked…they were all stiletto, and the sound reminded him of a familiar pair of kitten heels which were probably walking through the DPD.

**XXX**

Annie sighed as the entered the familiar building and pushed the heavy glass doors. Peeking into the glass office, she half-expected to see Auggie perched at his desk grinning into his headpiece. But his desk lay empty and the headphones were neatly placed on a hook. She felt a piece of her heart break as the empty chair bore a pathetic reminder of all that had happened. She loved him…but she had waited far too long. In an attempt to preserve Auggie's presence she turned her new keys in her palm, feeling the US Military keychain pressing into her skin. Keeping the keys in her hands she made her way toward the bullpen and sat in her place. Putting her keys where she could see them she began filling out forms. Despite Auggie's absence it was just another day in the DPD, and not even an interesting one at that. Sometimes she loved her job but on days like this she never wanted to see another piece of paper again. Bored and lonely she went downstairs to eat her lunch, opting to eat in the backroom of the Starbucks with Liz rather than face sitting alone in the cafeteria…or even worse, succumb to sitting with Jai.

**XXX**

Auggie sat perched on the bed listening to the bustling city, as Parker got ready. Deserts were not places he liked to revisit, but he didn't particularly mind being in this city. In a way it reminded Auggie of his past self, before he lost his sight, back when he would do crazy adventurous things at the drop of a hat. And he quietly found himself wishing he could share it with a certain agent. He quickly shook the though out of his head, reminding himself that she was his best friend and nothing more. He didn't want to ruin that carefully balanced friendship they had, and vowed not to turn into a clichéd movie starring Julia Roberts.

Parker emerged from the bathroom shaking him out of his thoughts; he needed to focus on his girlfriend who had taken off a week just to see him. He smiled as she took his hand and they headed towards the city.

The outside was vastly different from the hotel, it was hot and dry and full of life. He could hear every sound, from the woman carrying buckets of water to shopkeepers shouting out their goods. The air smelled dusty and heavy but was the perfect touch to this atmosphere.

Parker stopped and led him over to a stall where they bought what could only be considered authentic food. Suddenly Auggie felt a pull from behind and heard Parker scream loudly.

**XXX**

Annie returned to her desk for what she assumed to be a continuation of her horrible morning. But instead she found Joan sitting at her desk, staring at the picture of Auggie, herself, Chloe and Katia she kept on her desk. When Joan noticed her approaching she stood.

"Annie, we have a situation I feel you need to be aware of." She said solemnly.

Annie's heart immediately started racing, as she played horrible scenarios in her mind.

"We just received a threat from Syria."

"Oh no…" Annie cried falling into her chair, there was only one person Joan could be talking about.

"The descriptions they sent us seem match Auggie and who seems to be his girlfriend." The strain was evident in Joan's voice; she had become quite attached to Auggie over the years.

Annie was trying to hold back her tears, she had waited too long and now she was going to lose him…forever. He would never know how she felt.

"I'LL GO!" She screamed without a second thought.

"Annie…I'd rather send someone who wasn't so involved in this situation." She said placing her hand on the younger blonde's shoulder.

"You can't! I have to tell him!"

"What are you talking about? Is there something you need to be telling me?"

"Nothing. He's my best friend and I don't know what I'll do without him."

"I don't know…this is risky op, we have one of our own on the line."

"I'll never forgive myself if something happened and I wasn't there."

Joan sighed, taking in the suddenly frazzled 25 year old on the verge of tears. She saw so much of herself in those brown glistening eyes, it was the same fear she felt when Arthur went on missions. She smiled slightly empathizing with the young agent.

"Fine I'll send you. But only on the condition that Jai comes with you."

"JAI!"

"He has experience in the African countries that you lack."

"But…"

"Annie, do you want to go or not?"

"I'm sorry, I'll go!"

**XXX**

Auggie awoke with his head spinning, he couldn't tell where he was, and there was no sound and a damp musty smell. He felt around only to find that his hands were bound. That's when he began to panic; he thrashed around desperately trying to find Parker.

"Stop moving." A voice screamed in a language he could barely understand. A large hand ducked down and yanked him to a standing position from the back of his shirt.

"What's wrong with him?" Another voice added.

"HE'S BLIND!" He heard Parker scream from a distance.

"Oh is that all?" The man spat.

Auggie kept silent, he had learned from experience that the more you argued with men like this the worse the torture. He heard a slap and cried out, "Leave her alone! Take me!"

"American tourists hold a lot value here, particularly the women." A third man replied in an oily voice.

"NO!" He shouted.

"You on the other hand have no use to us…we can't even use you as a trafficker."

Auggie decided he was better off being quiet, because it seemed it was only getting worse. It was then he had realized they thought he was a tourist; they captured him for resale value not because he was part of the CIA. No threat to his country, but that also meant no one in the agency knew where he was.

Shutting his eyes he realized there was no hope. He was going to die here and no one would know why. He imagined his family, and flashed back to that day in the hospital; it would be a thousand times worse for them. He imagined Annie; maybe with Chloe and Katia…surprisingly this was the picture that hurt him the most. The thought of never hearing her voice and never being the butt of Katia's schemes broke his heart. He missed them…a lot more than he initially realized, he would miss movie nights, Liz dragging them to clubs, and he would even miss falling asleep on his keyboard at 3 am. He realized he needed to live, not just for himself but for his parents, Chloe, Katie and Annie.

**XXX**

Annie got off the plane and took in the bustling city, she could even begin to imagine where they would look for Auggie.

Jai came up from behind and handed her a scarf.

"Wear this around your head. It'll draw less attention, the last thing we need is you getting kidnapped too."

Carefully she wrapped the patterned scarf around her hair, letting it fall on her forehead before following Jai through the crowd. They weaved through an intricate path of back roads and small streets. She could feel the eyes on them as she moved, but once they spotted Jai most of the natives ignored them; he blended in a lot better than she did.

She still had no idea where they were going, but Jai navigated the streets like a pro. Finally after what seemed like hours on walking, a large man approached Jai.

"Do you have 5 cents to spare for toll?"

Jai shook his head as the man slipped a card into his palm. Jai surveyed the card and lightly grasped Annie's wrist before following the man into the dust. He led them into a secluded, tree filled area before he spoke.

"Okay we have a few ideas as to where your co-worker may be." The man began in a deep voice.

"How many?" Jai asked with one eyebrow raised.

"About 12."

"What!" Annie cried, "We'll never find him!"

"Human trafficking, particularly of Americans is a big business here. Most likely they took them for money, not because he was one of you all." The man explained.

"So you're saying that our chances if finding him are…" Annie asked worriedly.

"24 hours after he went missing, pretty high but after that it's close to nothing." The bearded man solemnly said.

"But he's blind." Jai informed.

"In that case, he's not of much use to them so we better work fast."

Despite herself Annie had to ask, "What about Parker?"

"She's a woman so her value is much high than your friend's. If we don't find her within 24 hours there's no hope."

"In that case…" Jai sighed, "we better get a move on."

Annie was mentally hitting herself; she wished she had stopped him, that she had told him…this was all her fault. If only she hadn't been such a cowardly idiot. Auggie would probably be sitting on the couch watching Tangled for the 6th time with Chloe and Katia and sharing her ice cream spoon, instead of stuck in some gang's underground territory.

She missed him, a lot. If she lost him, she would lose a part of herself; the part of herself she loved the most.

**Okay, I know it's been a really long time but I was lacking inspiration. And believe it or not my brother and cousin were playing Call of Duty: Black Ops and I got the idea for this chapter. I've never taken a story down this route before so if the updates take a while I'm sorry, if anyone has a suggestions leave it in a review! :) **

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**HP202abc **


	7. Extraction

**Hi! **

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Auggie struggled against his ties, but he couldn't manage to break free. He could barely locate Parker, but he knew that the men had left the room about half an hour ago.

"Parker!" He called out, the panic evident in his voice. The men had said she held a lot of value here…and for all he knew she was gone.

"I'm over here." A broken down voice called.

"Thank god you're okay! Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Shhh, keep your voice down…they're in the next room." Parker whispered worriedly, "They'll be back any minute, and I'm pretty sure they're taking us somewhere."

"Take us to the black market or the slaughterhouse?"

"Hone-" Parker was cut off by the slamming of a door, and Auggie received a sharp blow to the head which subsequently knocked him out.

**XXX**

Annie climbed though a hole in the floor keeping a close eye on Jai close in front of her. This was their 3rd attempt in finding Auggie and Parker, and it was looking like their 3rd failure.

Hearing a rustle she quickly hid behind a corner, just in time to see three large men carting large canvas bags. Annie blinked, she didn't even want to know what could potentially be in there. Suddenly a heavy hand fell on her shoulder and with a jump she punched them.

"OW!" Jai cried.

"Oh my god! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"God you pack a punch!" Jai spat out, clutching his check, "Auggie's not here, this is a firearms storage."

"This is hopeless…"

"No one said this would be easy."

Annie sighed, it was time to head to the next trafficking point and it this point she was expecting it to be a cartel grocery store.

**XXX**

Parker was sitting in the back of a truck with Auggie's head of her lap. This was hardly how she had expected her weekend with Auggie to go, but here she was tied by her wrists and locked in the back of a cargo truck with boxes of rifles.

She had come her to escape all the pain of losing her brother, to feel like she had a purpose, like she was helping too. But with Auggie here, she understood what it must have been like for her brother. How scary the whole experience truly is, it was no longer her painted fantasies of running with children around the prairie…this was dangerous and real.

"Annie…no…don't…stop…" Auggie murmured in his unconscious state, so softly she barely heard him, "Stop…I'm not worth it."

Annie, had he mentioned an Annie to her before? His sister? Niece?

But something about the way he was saying it made her uncomfortable. He was really scared that this Annie was going to do something.

Hearing this name stirred something within her, something that made her wonder what Auggie was hiding. Honestly they didn't talk about their personal life too much, he told her war stories and she told him her dreams…they shared what they were most scared to talk about. But in that process they had glossed over the things that were important, she didn't even know if he had a sister. They undeniably had chemistry but Parker had begun on the path of doubt, and the more she thought the more she realized she didn't know him at all.

Every man she had dated before had been her friend; Auggie had been her solace. He was so much like her brother, and she loved him for that. And if they lived through this she'd tell him.

**XXX**

Covered in leaves Annie emerged from a bush as a truck came whizzing by.

"Trafficking truck…" Jai murmured, running after it.

Stuck with a glimmer of hope Annie followed, running faster than she ever had. Her legs were burning and her lungs were on fire but she kept going…as long as she saw that truck, Auggie could possibly be in it.

They ran for what seemed like miles, chasing the rickety old truck until finally it stopped in an underground warehouse, which was shaded by several trees.

Catching her breath, she waited for the truck to begin unloading. Finally she saw two men carrying slumped figures over their shoulders.

"JAI…they're taking people in there." Annie whispered to her exhausted co-worker.

Jai motioned for her to follow him to the back of the building, and motioned towards an open second story window. The pair quietly snuck in quietly into a room which was armed with about 10 guards.

From above she could see the same figures, slouched against a wall. Their faces were shaded and she could barely make out the outline of their bodies.

She turned to see jai hiding behind boxes and murmured for her to do the same.

"What are they doing down there?" She asked.

"God knows…most likely negotiating."

"We're too late?"

"Not yet, but if we don't work fast…"

"How are you planning on getting in there?"

"I have a plan…but I need approval."

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!"

"I know…but I have to tell Stu."

**XXX**

Stu sat at his desk in the almost empty office. He wouldn't have minded if Joan wasn't sitting right next to him watching every move on his screen. It had been quiet and he was more than a little uncomfortable having his boss leaning over his shoulder.

Suddenly his computer flashed and Jai began talking in his earpiece. At the noise Joan jumped and turned up the volume.

"We think we found Auggie and Parker but we can't be sure. They're completely surrounded by guards. I'm going in, disguised but I need approval to buy them back if time comes."

"JAI WILCOX have you've lost your mind!" A third voice boomed from behind Joan.

Stu shook as Arthur too appeared behind Joan, this was probably the worst day of his life.

"You are not entering a trafficking ring to buy out agents…find another way."

"There isn't enough time." Jai 's voice crackled, "It's now or they die."

"Arthur this is my division and my agents. Leave this to me!" Joan argued before Arthur could concoct something new altogether, "Jai…are you sure there isn't anything?"

"Unless you want Auggie to die…this is basically the only option." Annie bitterly added.

"I'll have to money wired into a fake bank account." Joan sighed, somehow she would find a way to implant communication devices in the heads of all her agents, even if she had to take them to Brazil to do it.

**XXX**

20 minutes later, Jai had been assured that the money had been wired and had mauled a man entering to building to steal his clothes.

In Annie's opinion he looked convincingly intimidating as she watched him from the rafters above. If anything went wrong she was supposed to pull a Spiderman and drop down from the sky.

She watched as Jai spoke with the man in front, who gestured for one of his lackeys to bring the captives out from the shadows.

Annie's heart stopped as she saw Auggie emerge, looking broken and groggy with a battered brunette woman by his side.

The man displayed the two as if they were a used car, throwing out prices for Jai to respond.

Finally the man and Jai agreed on a price and trying to look horrible and menacing Jai led them out of the warehouse.

Filled with relief Annie jumped down from the window to meet them. Upon seeing them she realized Auggie was unconscious and Jai was holding him up.

"In the truck! Hurry!" Jai cried, sitting Auggie into the car as the rest of them jumped and raced off.

**Okay so what did you think?**

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